II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 923 

To withhold United States contributions to the United Nations until the 

United Nations formally retracts the final report of the ‘‘United Nations 

Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 9, 2011 

Mr. VITTER (for himself, Ms. AYOTTE, Mr. KYL, and Mr. INHOFE) introduced 

the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To withhold United States contributions to the United Nations until the United Nations formally retracts the final 

report of the ‘‘United Nations Fact Finding Mission 

on the Gaza Conflict’’. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

4 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) On April 3, 2009, the President of the 

6 Human Rights Council established the United Na7 tions Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict 

8 with the directive ‘‘to investigate all violations of 


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1 international human rights law and international hu2 manitarian law that might have been committed at 

3 any time in the context of the military operations 

4 that were conducted in Gaza during the period from 

5 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009, whether 

6 before, during or after’’. 

7 (2) On September 29, 2009, the United Na8 tions Human Rights Council presented a report on 

9 the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the 

10 Gaza Conflict, a report most often referred to as the 

11 ‘‘Goldstone Report’’, that accused Israel of potential 

12 war crimes under the Rome Statute of the Inter13 national Criminal Court. 

14 (3) On April 1, 2011, Justice Richard 

15 Goldstone, the author of the Goldstone Report, 

16 wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post about the 

17 Goldstone Report and stated that more information 

18 is now available regarding the Gaza War of 2008– 

19 2009 and that, ‘‘If I had known then what I know 

20 now, the Goldstone Report would have been a dif21 ferent document.’’. 

22 (4) Justice Goldstone reiterated the following 

23 well known fact: ‘‘That the crimes allegedly com24 mitted by Hamas were intentional goes without sayVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:50 May 12, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S923.IS S923

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1 ing—its rockets were purposefully and indiscrimi2 nately aimed at civilian targets.’’. 

3 (5) Evidence that was made available following 

4 the Goldstone Report confirms that Israel as a mat5 ter of policy did not intentionally target civilians. 

6 (6) Justice Goldstone reiterated the well known 

7 fact that the United Nations Human Rights Council 

8 has long held a bias against Israel. 

9 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con10 gress that now that evidence is available that undoubtedly 

11 nullifies the most controversial aspects of the Goldstone 

12 Report, the United Nations should formally retract the 

13 Goldstone Report. 

14 SEC. 2. WITHHOLDING OF UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS 

15 TO THE UNITED NATIONS. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall with17 hold United States contributions to the regularly assessed 

18 biennial budget of the United Nations until such time as 

19 the United Nations formally retracts the final report of 

20 the ‘‘United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza 

21 Conflict’’ (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Goldstone Re22 port’’) that was presented to the United Nations Humans 

23 Rights Council during its 12th Session, in Geneva, on Sep24 tember 29, 2009. The withheld contributions shall be reVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:50 May 12, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S923.IS S923

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1 turned to the general fund of the Treasury to be used for 

2 debt reduction purposes. 

3 (b) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘formally 

4 retracts’’ means a resolution adopted by the United Na5 tions stating that insufficient information relating to the 

6 subject matter of the report referred to in subsection (a) 

7 was available before the release of such report and such 

8 report is annulled. 

Æ 


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